walk until you fall

I wrote this after learning of my need for therapy but three days before my unplanned hospitalization. I derived this blog's title from this poem, and I derived the title of this poem from the story of Socrates death.

Owing Nothing to Asclepius

December 26, 2011

And if I don’t altogether rise

From the ashes, I’ll damn well

Crawl from the sons

Of bitches—lousy

With clinging embers,

An emblem of the earth

bound.

And if I don’t come fully clean

Of the soot, naked

In the fire-hose, I’ll sure

As hell strut brûléed

To the next station

Of the beat-down.

So swallow, Socrates, down

The hatch. Walk until you fall

Then wallow in offal—

Your desecrated innards.

The poison demands,

An emblem of the earth

bound,

of the beaten down.

The chemistry of courage is lousy

With cold cinders.